Furnace-door opener.



N0. 8'74 ,612. PATENTED DEC. 24, 1907.

- c. w. MGGANDLESS.

FURNACE DOOR OPENER.v

APPLIOATiOH FILED SEPT. 1907;

attouiug EETTE STATES. PATENT oFFroE.

CHARLES W. MCGANDLESS, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

FURNACE-DOOR OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1907.

Application filed September 23 1907. Serial No. 394,196.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. McCAND- LESS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Furnace- Door Openers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and desirable mechanism especially adapted for opening and closing doors of furnaces, or the like.

In the practical embodiment of the invention it is aimed to secure means of the above type which by reason of the peculiar mounting of the parts thereof can be very easily ap plied to furnaces in use, the arrangement of parts being such that the mechanism may be attached by a few fastenings and will be readily operable. Combined with the door opening means is a special lock device whereby the doors may be held in open or adjusted positions according to the desire of the operator.

For a full understanding of the invention, and the merits thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a mechanism comprising the invention, the parts being arranged in the position assumed thereby when the doors connected therewith are closed. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, partially broken away showing the doors in open position and locked in such position by the locking means employed. Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken about on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Similar parts are referred to in all the figures of the drawing, and indicated by the same reference characters.

Specially describing the invention, the same is illustrated in connection with and applied to an ordinary steam boiler furnace 1, the doors 2 being arranged to close the opening 1 of the furnace, in a" customary manner. The doors 2 are of the horizontally sliding type and when closed have the adjacent vertical edges thereof in contact, being adapted to be opened by a spreading horizontal sliding movement and the actuation of the operating mechanism which constitutes this invention. Cooperating with the lower edge portions of the doors are spaced guide plates 3 which are attached to the furnace 1 in any substantial manner. The doors 2 slide in the space between the plates 3 as will be readily apparent.

Each of the doors 2 is supported bya pair of suspending links 4, said links having pivotal connection at the lower ends thereof with the doors carried thereby, the upper ends of the links 4 being pivotally connected to a transverse supporting bar 5 which is located some distance above the doors 2 and which is attached to the furnace 1 by suitable fastenings. An end portion of the bar 5 is bent downwardly to form a supporting arm 6, the lower portion of which is bifurcated. Pivoted between the bifurcate portions of the arm 6 and at the lower extremity of said arm is a lever 7, the outer end of which has pivotal connection at 8 with a vertically arranged bar 9, the lower end of said bar 9 being pivotally connected with a foot lever 10. The foot lever 10 is pivoted between its ends to a suitable supporting member 11 and said foot lever projects outwardly from the furnace so that it will be convenient for operation by the foot of the 'fn'eman or any one desiring to open or close the doors 2. The inner end of the lever 7 is pivotally connected at 7 to the upper ends ofa pair of toggle links 12, each of said links having a pivotal connection atits lower end with one of the doors 2 at the outer upper corner of said door.

It will be apparent that downward pressure of the outer end of the foot lever 10 will force the bar 9 upwardly and actuate the lever 7 so as to impart a downward spreading movement to the toggle links 12. This operation will cause doors 2 to slide in opposite directions in an obvious manner, the opening movement of the doors being limited by outwardly projecting stops 13, extending from the furnace 1 and comprising outwardly bent extremities of a plate 14 attached to the furnace 1 at the inner side of the upper edge portions of the doors 2. The plate 14 is so attached that the fastenings thereof will not interfere with the sliding movement of the doors 2, the heads of said fastenings being countersunk preferably.

Arranged above the lever 7 and pivoted between the bifurcate portions of the arm 6 is a dog 15, one end of which is adapted to engage in a notch or notches 16 in the upper edge of the lever 7. The outer end of the dog 15 is weighted so that when disengaged from the lower 7 the weighted end portion of the dog will rest upon the pin 17 and the engaging end. will be held out of v engagement with reference to said lever 7. IVhen the foot lever 10 has been actuated so as to cause the doors 2 to assume an OPQIL position it will be apparent that the dog 15 may be caused to engage in one of the notches 16 of the lever 7 to prevent said lever from moving upwardly to cause the doors 2 to close. The peculiar supporting means for the doors 2, namely, the suspending links 4, is of such a nature as to cause the doors to gravitate into closed position if the closing thereof is not opposed or prevented by. the lock device provided and represented by the dog 15'before described. Of course when the Weighted end of the dog 15 rests upon the pin 17 the lock device will not interfere in any way with the closing of the doors 2. By reason of the peculiar connection between the lever 7 and the doors 2 the latter may be readily opened without the necessity of exerting .a very great amount of force, and this is advantageous in a mechanism of this class. It is to be understood that more than one notch 16 may be provided in the upper edge of the lever 7 and this will admit of engagement of the dog 15 with the lever 7 at different points whereby the doors 2 may be held in Wide open or in an adjusted position or positions partially closed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a furnace door opener mechanism, the combination of horizontally sliding doors, a supporting bar above said doors, a pair of suspending links pivotally connected at their lower ends with each door and at their upper ends with the supporting bar above mentioned, one end of the supporting bar being extended to form a supporting 1 arm, a lever pivoted between its ends to said arm, toggle links connected at their upper ends with one end of said lever, each toggle link being connected at its lower end with one of the doors, and means for actuating the lever to cause ready movement of the toggle links and opening movement of the doors.

2. In a furnace door opener mechanism, the combination of horizontally sliding doors, a supporting bar above said doors, a pair of suspending links pivotally connected at their lower ends with each door and at their upper ends with the supporting bar above mentioned, one end of the supporting bar being extended to form a supporting arm, a

toggle links connected at their upper ends with one end of said lever, each toggle link being connected at its lower end 1th one of the doors, means for actuating the lever to cause ready movement of the toggle links and opening movement of the doors, and a lock device arranged to prevent movement of the lever aforesaid after the same has been operated, to prevent closing movement nofnthe doors.

3. In a furnace door opener mechanism, the combination of horizontally sliding doors, a supporting bar above said doors, a pair of suspending links pivotally connected at their lower ends with each door and at their upper ends with the supporting bar above mentioned, one end of the supporting bar being extended to form a supporting arm, a lever pivoted between its ends to said arm, toggle links connected at their upper ends with one end of said lever, each toggle link being connected at its lower end with one of the doors, means for actuating the lever to cause ready movement of the toggle links and opening movement of the doors, and a dog pivotally mounted upon the arm of the supporting bar and arranged to engage the lever carried thereby to lock the doors in an open position.

4. In a furnace door opener, the combination of a supporting bar, a pair of oppo sitely sliding doors, pairs of links connected to the supporting bar, one pair of the links having connection with one door and the other pair with the other door, a bifurcated arm extending from one end of the supporting bar, a lever pivoted between the bifurcate portions ofsaid arm, toggle links connected with one end of the lever and each having connection at the other end with one of the doors, means for actuating the lever to open the doors, a dog pivoted between the bifurcate portions of the arm of the supporting bar, and adapted to engage said lever to lock the doors in an open position, and means for holding said dog normally in position out of engagement with the lever.

5. In a furnace door opener, the combination of doors, a pair of links connected with each door, a support with which said links are pivotally comiected, toggle links connected together at one end, and each connected at its other end with one of the doors, a lever connected with the connected ends of the toggle links for actuation thereof, means for actuating the lever, and a lock device arranged to engage the lever to prevent movement thereof and hold the doors in open position.

6. In a furnace door opener, the combination of doors, a pair of links connected with each door, a support with which said links are pivotally connected, toggle links lever pivoted between its ends to said arm,

connected together at one end, and each connected at its other end with one of the to hold the same normally out of engagedoors, a lever connected with the connected inent withthe lever. 10

ends of the toggle links for actuation thereof, In testimony whereof I affix my signature means for actuating the lever, and a dog in presence of two witnesses.

5 pivoted between its ends adjacent to the CHARLES W. MOCANDLESS.

lever arranged to engage the lever at dif- Witnesses: ferent points to hold the doors in an adjusted R. D. HUNTER,

position, one end of the dog being weighted A. P. HORNER. 

